Everyone in YWAM has a story to tell. Your YWAM story might be a miraculous moment, a lesson learned, an inspirational event or a tale that you can’t help laughing at every time you recall it. Whatever it is – we want to hear it! And to commemorate YWAM’s 50th anniversary, the IY is offering a prize for the stories about your YWAM experiences that we like best in three categories and we’ll publish them in a future International YWAMer!
Here’s what you need to know:
- We’ll send a prize to the writer of the best true story in each age group: under 15’s, 15-30 years and over 30’s.
- Your story should be no less than 200 and no more than 800 words long. You can write it in any language! It can be about anything, but should relate to your YWAM experience.
- Stories should be submitted to iy@ywam.org by July 1, 2010.
- Please send a photograph of yourself, or a photograph about your story and include your name, age, location and contact details.
Winners in each category will receive either a gift certificate or donation to the YWAM ministry of their choice. IY staff will select the best story for publication in each of the three categories, and reserve the right to edit as required. Questions? Contact iy@ywam.org
I was suicidal. Many nights I drank a bottle of wine just to fall asleep and get some much needed relief from the torment I was in. Hopelessness was my daily companion and at night my sleep was filled with nightmares. It was all I could do to get dressed and make it to work. I was despondent and could only live one day at a time. My childhood had been so painful and no matter what I did I could not escape the emotional turmoil of it.
It was the winter of 1984 and as I sat in my office at work a memory came to my mind. I remembered a group of young people who had performed a mime at a downtown Toronto coffee house. As I had watched those young people I remembered thinking “if only I could do that someday….bring hope to those who have no hope.”
In a moment of desperation I decided to write a letter to that organization. I remembered that it was called Youth With A Mission and I guessed at the address. I sent a quick note asking if I could come to that school. The envelope was addressed to Youth With A Mission, Cambridge, Ontario, no postal code.
Hopelessness soon caused me to forget about the letter I had written. One week later I received a reply. In silent longing, afraid to hope I opened the letter. They were offering a Discipleship Training Course. I filled out the application and sent it away.
A couple of weeks later I received a letter. Opening it up my heart prayed a prayer. I read the words “you have been accepted”. I cried and cried and decided that this was a sign that God did care about me and that he was going to rescue my heart. I gave notice at work, piled my belongings into the car and drove in the snow to Cambridge.
It was not until weeks later while talking with my roommates that I realized how God had caused a miracle to happen. Somehow I had not included a medical form when I completed my application form. Two years earlier I had injured my ankles in a fall and the tendons were torn. I had been in several casts and could not walk without tensor bandages on my ankles. Three surgeons had advised me to have surgery but I decided against an operation. If I had undergone a medical exam I would not have been accepted because I could not walk even one mile. God was in the details and I quietly began to hope for a miracle.
During my DTS God restored hope to my life. Many times I tried to run away but the love of God in my leaders kept drawing me back. No matter how hard I tried to get them to give up on me they continued to love me. Father God poured his unconditional kindess and mercy over me.
Our outreach was in the jungles of Belize. I had a very difficult time there and this city girl who had never been camping experienced full blown culture shock. One early morning I got up and walked through the frog filled grass to visit the tarantula inhabited outhouse. I returned to bed and slept. Later that morning, while eating breakfast, I realized that I did not have my tensor bandages on. Fear struck my heart but I chose to walk without the bandages. Within a couple of days healing came to my feet and I was able to walk. God completely healed me!
So many amazing things happened while I was at Youth With A Mission in Cambridge. Through the Biblical teachings, the practical life exercises and my devoted leaders I came to know that God loved me perfectly and unconditionally. I had come to believe that my Father in heaven had good plans for my life. God had brought life to me and I was healed me inside and out.
I will always be grateful to God for Youth With A Mission.